Device for hooking the visor to a motorcyclist helmet cap

ABSTRACT

A device for removably hooking visor ( 2 ) to a cap ( 4 ) of the type provided, in correspondence of each side end of porthole ( 22 ) of the helmet, with a guide-body ( 5 ) for the rotation of the visor that engages according to an axis into a hole ( 23 ) of the visor. The device also comprises a cursor ( 7 ) slidingly associated to the guide-body and provided with means ( 8 ) for holding the visor. Cursor ( 7 ) translates between an engagement position of the holding means with the visor and a disengagement position. The device is also provided with elastic means ( 25 ) to push the holding means to an engagement position with the visor.

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for hooking the visorto the cap of a helmet, and in particular to a device for hooking thevisor to the cap of a helmet which allows at the same time to adjust theangular position of the visor with respect to the porthole—or window—ofthe cap.

[0002] Usually, the devices for hooking the visor to the cap of a helmetcomprise pins that engage in special eyelets obtained in correspondenceof the side ends of the visor and that fasten, for instance by screwing,in holes or seats obtained on the cap at the sides of the porthole. Suchdevices are intended for ensuring the attachment of the visor to thecap, allowing at the same time the rotation of the visor with respect tothe porthole. However, these devices, for simplicity reasons, do notprovide any adjustment of the angular position of the visor, whichcauses the positioning of the visor by the user to be only approximate.

[0003] On the contrary, devices are known for the adjustment of thevisor with respect to the cap, or devices that allow to lock the visorin different pre-defined positions when the visor is caused to rotate tointercept or free the porthole. These devices do not provide usually thepossibility of disconnecting the visor from the cap, unless by usingsuitable tools. Some of such devices are provided with mechanisms that,once screwed on the cap, keep, by interposition of ports, the end of thevisor, in order to lock it removably in the position desired by theuser. Such mechanisms, generally made up by leverages, are very complexand require both hands for their activation. Therefore, the activationof the device is particularly tiresome, as, in order to lift or to lowerthe visor, the user must keep the motor-cycle in balance using only hislegs.

[0004] To solve this problem, devices have been proposed for adjustingthe rotation of the visor using one only hand.

[0005] In particular, according to the known art, these devices,fastened to the cap near the side ends of the porthole, are providedwith a cylindrical body whereon the visor is rotatably assembled and athreaded pin which, by engaging in a hole obtained on the helmet cap,allows to keep the visor onto the cap according to an axis. Thecylindrical body houses a pawl elastically pushed to engage into aconcavity of a rack obtained in the visor. The concavities, or seats,identify different angular positions in whose correspondence the visormay be located during its rotation about the threaded pin. An example ofsuch devices is described in the British Patent Application GB 2,024,000(Nolan S.p.A.).

[0006] The connection of the visor to the helmet is therefore disjoinedfrom the rotation adjusting device and may be realized, as mentionedabove, with threaded pins that require the help of special tools fortheir assembly and disassembly.

[0007] Object of the present invention is to solve the drawbacks of theknown art through a device for hooking the visor to a helmet capallowing at the same time an easy adjustment of the angular position ofthe visor with respect to the porthole.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a devicefor hooking the visor to the cap said device being extremely simple andhighly reliable, and such as to allow the rotation of the visor and thelocking thereof in the desired position with one only hand.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide a devicethat does not require special tools to fix or to remove the visor to orfrom the cap, but that, on the contrary, allows to perform suchoperations in any condition and with the hands only, while ensuring anextreme use safety.

[0010] These and still other objects are achieved by the presentinvention that relates to a device for removably hooking the visor to ahelmet cap, of the type provided, in correspondence of each side end ofthe cap porthole, a guide-body for the rotation of the visor that can beengaged according to an axis in a hole of said visor, characterized inthat it comprises a cursor slidingly associated to said guide-body andprovided with means preventing the visor from the translation in thedirection of said axis, said cursor being translatable between aposition of engagement of said means holding said visor and adisengagement position, said device also comprising elastic means forpushing said cursor to said position of engagement with the visor.Thanks to this solution, the translation of the cursor suffices per seto release the visor from the cap, and therefore no tools are needed toperform such operation.

[0011] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, thecursor comprises a tooth elastically pushed to engage in a seatbelonging to one or more seats obtained on the visor. Said one or moreseats respectively define one or more stable angular positions for thevisor during the rotation movement of the latter about the axis engagingwith the guide-body.

[0012] The presence of the sliding cursor of both the aforesaid meansfor the axial holding, constituted, for instance, by a fork that holdsthe axial shifting of the visor, and the tooth that engages with seatsobtained on the visor, provides the device according to the inventionwith the capacity of efficiently preventing the axial translation ofsaid visor, coupled with the effect of the holding projection present onthe guide-body, adjusting at the same time the angular position of thevisor during the rotation.

[0013] The extreme simplicity of the device made up by only a fewcomponents that can be assembled in a short time, ensures also a greatutilization facility and safety as well as a high reliability.

[0014] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, theabove position of disengagement of the holding means coincides with anend of stroke position of the cursor, in such a manner that noaccidental unhooking of the visor can take place.

[0015] Advantageously, the elastic means suitable to push the cursor tothe engagement position of the means for holding the visor comprise ahelical spring interposed between the cursor and the circular body.

[0016] According to a second preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the aforesaid tooth is obtained integrally with the cursor,and the elastic means that push the cursor to an engagement positionwith the visor also push the tooth to one or more seats obtained in thevisor.

[0017] Further characteristics and advantages of the present inventionwill be clearer thanks to the following description, made by way of nonlimiting illustration, with reference to the schematic drawingsattached, wherein:

[0018]FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a hooking device according to apreferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0019]FIG. 2a, 2 b are schematic views of a helmet provided with thedevice according to the present invention, with a hooked respectivelyunhooked visor;

[0020]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cursor according to aparticular aspect of the present invention; and

[0021]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a guide-body whereon the cursor ofFIG. 3 can be slidingly associated.

[0022] FIGS. 1-4 show a preferred embodiment of the device according tothe present invention, to removably hook to cap 3 visor 2 ofinterception of a porthole, or window, 22 of a helmet 4, i.e. a devicethat allows to connect or disconnect visor 2 to or from cap 3, allowingat the same time the rotation of said visor 2 with respect to porthole22. The device according to the present invention comprises, for eachportion of cap 3 located near the side ends of porthole 22, a guide-body5 tied to cap 3 whereon visor 2 rotatably engages according to an axisby means of a hole 23. The guide-body 5 allows the rotation of visor 2about an axis substantially orthogonal with respect to the walls of cap3 and prevents any movement transversal to said rotation axis of saidvisor 2.

[0023] To the guide-body 5, provided with a contrast protrusion 18,there is also slidingly associated a cursor 7 provided with holdingmeans 8 of visor 2 in the direction of the above axis and translatablebetween a position wherein the holding means 8 engage with visor 2 toprevent it from sliding along the rotation axis, and a position whereinmeans 8 are disengaged from visor 2. In the following, reference will bemade to the rotation axis of visor 2, defined by the coupling betweenhole 23 and the guide-body 5, by the term “axial”, while by theexpression “axial holding means of the visor” there will be intended toindicate the above defined holding means 8.

[0024] Besides, the device according to the present invention comprisesalso elastic means 25 intended for pushing cursor 7, and therefore theaxial holding means 8, in engagement with visor 2.

[0025] More particularly, helmet 4 has, on the sides of cap 3, near eachside end of porthole 22, a circular-plan cylindrical guide unit that byengaging in the circular hole 23 of visor 2, acts as a pin to allow therotation of visor 2 on porthole 5, allowing thereby the opening andclosing of visor 2 on porthole 22. The circular guide-body comprises, ina transversal position with respect to the rotation axis, a groove 6wherein cursor 7, provided with axial holding means 8, is slidinglyinserted and can translate between an engagement position of the holdingmeans 8 with visor 2, shown on FIG. 2a, and a disengagement position,shown on FIG. 2b. Besides, the circular guide unit 5 has, as mentionedabove, in a position diametrically opposed with respect to the axialholding means 8, a contrast protrusion 18. The holding means, coupledwith contrast protrusion 18 allow, when cursor 7 is in engagementposition, to hook visor 2 to helmet cap 3, preventing it from slidingalong the rotation axis, moving away from said cap 3.

[0026] Within groove 6 of guide-body 5, there is also present acylindrical helical spring 25 that constitutes the elastic meanssuitable to push cursor 7 to the aforesaid engagement position. As willbe described later on, spring 25 is located between a pin 26 of theguide-body 5 and a abutment 27 of cursor 7.

[0027] In the particular realization of the device shown in the figures,the stroke of cursor 7, defined by groove 6, and the overall size of theholding means 8 allow to disconnect visor 2 from the guide-body 5 onlywhen cursor 7 reaches an end-of-stroke position (disengagement position)opposed to the aforesaid engagement position of means 8 with visor 2. Inthis manner, it is possible to disconnect visor 2 from cap 3 only in theposition of cursor 7 shown in FIG. 2b, so that any accidental unhookingof visor 2 from cap 3 is prevented.

[0028] Cursor 7 has, as a translation activating means, a protrusion 11which, moved by hand by user, allows the shifting of said cursor towardsthe disengagement position of holding means 8 of visor 2, overcoming theaction of spring 25.

[0029] The means of axial holding 8 of visor 2 according to the presentinvention, may be constituted by a protrusion of cursor 7 that extends,in a substantially orthogonal way with respect to the rotation axis,above cap 3, for a length and at a distance from cap 3 such as to allowthe housing of the surface of visor 2 adjoining hole 23 between theprotrusion (i.e. the holding means 8) and cap 3.

[0030] In the preferred embodiment, shown in detail in FIGS. 3 and 4,the holding means are constituted by a fork-shaped appendix 12 of cursor7, whose upper arm prevents, by contrast of parts, visor 2 from slidingaxially when cursor 7 is in its engagement position (FIG. 2a). Theexternal surface 15 of the upper arm 13 of fork 12 is, according to aparticular aspect of the present invention, inclined towards the rearside of the cap, in order to allow an easy disengagement of hole 23 ofguide-body 5, when cursor 7 has reached the end-of-stroke position,shown in FIG. 2b.

[0031] The lower arm 14 of fork 12 engages in an aperture 16 (FIG. 4)obtained in the guide-body 5, in such a way that the size of saidopening 16 defines the stroke width for cursor 7. Aperture 16, oppositeto the engagement position with visor 2, houses pin 26 that supports anend of the cylindrical helical spring 25.

[0032] According to a particularly advantageous aspect of the presentinvention, cursor 7, as is better shown in FIG. 3, has also a tooth 9elastically pushed in engagement with one of seats 10 obtained on visor2. Seats 10, that belong to a rack (or toothing) preferably realizedalong the internal profile of hole 23, define a plurality of stableangular positions for said visor 2, allowing the adjustment of itsrotation, by serial locations, by user. In fact, as stressed by FIG. 1,tooth 9, during the rotation of visor 2 about the engagement axis withthe guide-body, alternately engages in seat 10 of the rack obtainedalong the internal profile of hole 23, so as to shift within prefixedpositions of the rotation for said visor 2.

[0033] In the embodiment shown, tooth 9 is integrally realized withcursor 5 and protrudes from the latter, transversally to the rotationaxis of visor 2, so as to engage one of seats 10 of hole 23, when cursor7 is in its engagement position with visor 2 (FIG. 2a). As aconsequence, the cylindrical helical spring 26, by pushing cursor 7 andthe holding means 8 to engage with a portion of visor 2, pushes alsotooth 9 into one of seats 10.

[0034] In particular, tooth 9 is located between the arms of fork 12(see FIG. 3), in such a way that the engagement of fork 12 with thesurface of visor 2 adjoining hole 23 involves as a consequence theengagement of tooth 9 with one of seats 10.

[0035] Alternatively, in order to allow particular configurations ofvisor 2, but increasing the complexity of the device, it is possible torealize a tooth 9, translation-tied to guide-body 5 disjointedly fromcursor 7 and provided with own elastic pushing means.

[0036] Tooth 9 and seats 10 of the rack obtained along the internalperimeter of hole 23 have a complementary tapered saw tooth profile,that facilitates the rotation and the adjustment of the angular positionof visor 2. When the user of helmet 4 lifts visor 2 or lower it, causingits rotation about guide-body 5 whereon it is engaged, the taperedprofile of-seats 10 helps the coming out of tooth 9 from said seats andcauses the partial translation of cursor 7 towards its disengagementportion from visor 2, without the latter being ever reached, overcomingonly partly the pushing exercised by spring 25.

[0037] More specifically, the rotation of visor 2 by user, about theaxis defined by guide-body 5, involves, thanks to the complementarytapered profiles of seats 10 and tooth 9, the partial translation ofcursor 7 and the holding means 8 towards the aforesaid disengagementposition of cursor 7, which however is never reached, overcoming onlypartly the pushing exercised by spring 25. When, continuing the rotationof visor 2, pin 9 is substantially in correspondence of another of seats10 of hole 23, spring 25 pushes tooth 9 into such subsequent seat,determining the reaching of a prefixed angular stable position of visor2 with respect to porthole 22.

[0038] The number of seats 10 obtained on the internal profile of hole23 depends on the number of angular positions wherein it is expected, inthe design step, that visor 2 will be stably located during its openingand closing movement. Obviously, the profile of eyelet 23 might beprovided with one only seat 10, for instance in correspondence of themaximum opening position of visor 2.

[0039] In order to fasten still more effectively visor 2 to cap 3, theguide-body 5 is provided with a protrusion 18 which, superposed to visor2 when the latter is tied to guide-body 5, contrasts any shift along therotation axis of said visor 2, abutting on a position opposed to fork 12of cursor 7 and in particular, in the case of a circular-plan guide-body5, it extends in a position diametrically opposite with respect to theengagement position of cursor 7 with visor 2.

[0040] According to a further aspect of the present invention,guide-body 5 may be provided with recesses 29, or holes, wherein tangsor other structural coupling elements belonging to removable accessoriesof the helmet, such as a front or aerodynamic appendixes or a sunshading flange may be housed.

[0041] The great structural simplicity of the device illustrated aboveinvolves a like assembly simplicity.

[0042] In fact, for the assembly, a cursor 7 is first translatably tiedin groove 6, so that the lower arm 14 of fork 12 inserts into opening26. Possibly, groove 6 may be so shaped as to allow the snap-insertionof cursor 7, by means, for instance, of elastically strainable portions,and to prevent cursor 7 from shifting axially.

[0043] Afterwards, the cylindrical helical spring 25 is located betweenpin 26 and the abutment surface 27 of cursor 7.

[0044] Then, for each side end of helmet 4, guide-body 5 (see FIG. 1) iscoupled to a corresponding cavity shaped in cap 3 and fastened theretoby means of a partly threaded element 19 (screw or bolt) that engages ina seat, also threaded, integral with cap 3. Element 19 may be a pinprovided with a T-shaped head that inserts into an eyelet 20 of cursor7, allowing its transversal sliding, and into a through-hole 28 of unit5. Said pin 19, that does not involve visor 2, needs not being removedto allow visor 2 to be disconnected from cap 3.

[0045] Lastly, eyelet 23 of the visor is inserted on the cylindricalguide-body 5, causing the latter to position frontally beyond contrastprotrusion 18 realized thereon; afterwards, by acting by hand onprotrusion 11 of cursor 7, the front part of hole 23 of visor 2 insertsautomatically on the cylindrical guide-body 5 and, once cursor 7 isreleased, it is held up by means 8, or the upper arm 13 of fork 12.

[0046] As may be appreciated by those skilled in the art, such assemblyrequires only a few simple operations, and is therefore extremely rapid.The guide-body 5, of circular shape, as shown in FIG. 4, is realizeddisjointedly from the helmet cap, but obviously it might be realizedintegrally with cap 3, without falling outside the protection scope ofthe present invention.

[0047] Just in the same way, the partly threaded element 19 may bereplaced by any other mechanism or element that, according to the knownart, would allow to stably fasten unit 5 to cap 3.

1. A device for removably hooking visor (2) to a cap (3) of a helmet, ofthe type provided, in correspondence of each side end of porthole (22)of the helmet, a guide-body (5) for the rotation of visor (2) thatengages, according to an axis, in a hole (23) of said visor (2),characterized in that it comprises a cursor (7) slidingly associated tosaid guide-body and provided with means (8) for holding said visor inthe direction of said axis, said cursor being translatable between aposition of engagement of said holding means (8) with said visor (2) anda disengagement position of said holding means (8) with said visor, thedevice comprising also elastic means (25) to push said cursor (7) tosaid engagement position with visor (2).
 2. The device according toclaim 1, characterized in that said cursor comprises a tooth (9)elastically pushed to engage into one of one or more seats (10) obtainedon visor (2), said one or more seats (10) defining one or more stableangular positions for said visor (2).
 3. The device according to claim2, characterized in that said one or more seats (10) are obtained alongthe internal perimeter of said hole (23) of visor (2).
 4. The deviceaccording to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that saiddisengagement position of said holding means (8) coincides with an endof stroke position of said cursor (7).
 5. The device according to any ofthe preceding claims, characterized in that said cursor (7) comprisesmeans (11) for its translation activation.
 6. The device according toany of the preceding claims, characterized in that said elastic meanscomprise a helical spring (25) interposed between cursor (7) andguide-body (5).
 7. The device according to any of the preceding claims2-6, characterized in that said tooth (9) is obtained integrally withsaid cursor (7) and said elastic means (25) that push cursor (7) to anengagement position with visor (2), also push said tooth (9) in one ofthe said one or more seats (10) obtained in visor (2).
 8. The deviceaccording to any of the preceding claims 2-7, characterized in that saidtooth (9) and said one or more seats (10) have a complementary taperedsaw-tooth profile.
 9. The device according to any of the precedingclaims, characterized in that said holding means comprise a fork (12)whose upper arm (13) superposes to part of visor (2) to lock it axiallywhen cursor (7) is in said engagement position.
 10. The device accordingto claim 9, characterized in that said tooth (9) is realized betweenarms (13, 14) of said fork (12).
 11. The device according to claim 9 or10, characterized in that the lower arm (14) of said fork (12) engagesin an aperture (16) obtained in guide-body (5) suitable to define theend-of-stroke positions of said cursor (7).
 12. The device according toany of the preceding claims, characterized in that said guide-body (5)comprises at least a contrast protrusion (18) to prevent visor (2) fromshifting along said axis.
 13. The device according to any of thepreceding claims, characterized in that said guide-body (5) is realizeddisjointedly with respect to cap (3) of helmet (4).
 14. The deviceaccording to claim 13, characterized in that said guide-body (5)comprises recesses (29) for coupling with helmet (4) removableaccessories.
 15. The device according to claim 13 or 14, wherein saidguide-body (5) is fastened to cap (3) of helmet (4) by at least partlythreaded fasteners (19).
 16. The device according to claim 15, whereinsaid fastening means (19) of guide-body (5) to cap (3) of helmet (4) areT-head pins.